Czech PM calls for Zelenskyy-Putin peace talks to end Ukraine war

Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš has called on Europe and the United States to push Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin toward peace negotiations, warning of the risks of further escalation.

Speaking at the Prague Defence Summit Thursday, Babiš argued that Europe's security debate focuses heavily on military strength while paying insufficient attention to ending the war.

"We must stop this war," Babiš said, while describing Putin as the aggressor. He said Europe and the United States should work together to bring the Ukrainian and Russian presidents to the negotiating table.

Babiš warned that continued escalation could ultimately lead toward a broader global conflict, saying the current path could lead to "World War III."

The prime minister also emphasized the wider economic consequences of Russia's war against Ukraine, pointing to lost lives and destroyed cities as well as higher energy and food prices and inflation.

He argued that Europe has paid a particularly high economic price for global instability, including pressure on its industrial sector.

Babiš made a similar call Wednesday during a visit to Bulgaria, when he urged European leaders to step up efforts to end the war and pointed to U.S. President Donald Trump's contacts with Putin.

At Thursday's Prague Defence Summit, Babiš also stressed that Czechia remains a reliable member of NATO and the EU, while arguing that smaller Central European countries should have a stronger voice in debates over Europe's security and future.